[Costs of Saudi Arabia's Neom green hydrogen mega-project soar by $3.5 billion]Budgets for the Neom green hydrogen mega-project, which will tap vast green energy capacity, have soared 70% to $8.5 billion, according to a financial update from co-developer Air Products. Inflation, spare parts, land upfront costs and interest on a $1 billion loan all contributed to the $3.5 billion budget increase the company is developing in the deserts of northwestern Saudi Arabia with partner ACWA Power, a Saudi renewable energy development Merchant and Neom. Editor/Xing Wentao
The Qinghai Provincial Development and Reform Commission has released the first batch of bidding for independent new energy storage projects on the grid side in 2026, with a total scale of 2GW and an energy storage duration of no less than 4 hours, to be implemented in 5 sections. The project is planned to be connected to the grid by the end of September 2027, and can enjoy an annual compensation of 185 yuan per kilowatt capacity to assist in the construction of new power systems in the province. Editor/Min Jing
The Vietnamese parliament has passed a resolution to increase the scale and configuration standards of the cross-border railway construction in Laojie, Hanoi, and Haiphong, and significantly increase investment. The railway is expected to be completed by 2030, optimizing cross-border trade logistics between China and Vietnam, connecting the China Europe transportation corridor, improving the layout of the Pan Asian Railway, and helping Vietnam enhance its position as a regional transportation hub. Editor/Min Jing